The Red Swamps
by Black Rabbit With Attitude
Summary: Life and Death are odd creatures, but loved like any other creatures on would come across. Life, loved for beauty she brings to the Earth with her every move, and Death, welcomed as an end to struggle,pain, and life; but also a door to the known as well as the unknown. (Semi-SI. Sorry Set in Pre-Shippuden)


Life and Death are odd creatures, but loved like any other creatures on would come across. Life, loved for beauty she brings to the Earth with her every move, and Death, welcomed as an end to struggle,pain, and life; but also a door to the known as well as the unknown. My experience with Death ended up leaning more to the 'known' bit more then the 'unknown' bit, much to my surprise.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a life after death at all. To me, death seemed like the ultimate end game. There was nothing more to it. The thing known as a 'soul' would cease to exist, to be unraveled by the magics of space and time. An unconscious and unaware void that would have existed and not existed at the same time.

I can't really say that I remembered much about how I died really, but I can try to. I remembered being in a car, my last memory before bright red flashes of pain erupted in my brain and everything went black. Loud noises followed by the babble colorful static, followed by the periodic loud beeping sound greeted me the next time I was more or less conscious. I say more or less since I was able to feel and hear most of which that went on around me, but all my senses were so dull that I could feel and hear only the faintest of sound and touches.

My body felt numb. I could even open my eyes to see what was going on, the said organs feeling as if they were sealed shut with a gallon of super glue and weighed down with two elephants coming home from an all you can eat buffet. I couldn't tell if I was alive or passed into void. It went on like this for days, months, or even years. I didn't know. It always felt the same in this darkness. I occasionally felt a pressure in what I thought was my hand, but I was so numb I couldn't tell for sure. There would also often be a period where there would be a muffled mumble blurb of fuzzy sound, like what one would hear if they were under water.

Eventually, that all stopped and left me in the suffocating darkness which seemed to close in on me. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but then it grew warm. The once mind numb darkness had actually become warm and to be honest, cramped as well. But that wasn't all. A dull _tha-thump_ sound punctuated the darkness, growing louder the longer I was in this darkness The set rhythm of it all honestly was quite relaxing yet terrifying at the same time.

I mean for one, I am in a small cramped place in which I can literally see absolutely nothing of nothing at all. For all I know, it could have been a giant mallet that I was slowly making my way over to to get smashed into oblivion. On the flip side, it was something constant. It was always there and it would _fluctuate_. Sometimes it would speed up, growing faster as it was accompanied by the _whooshing_ of air.

Those instances of fluctuation was growing less and less now oddly, choosing to just stay in their resting rhythm. So, there really was nothing for me to be afraid of, but that didn't stop me. It wasn't like have claustrophobia with the constant threat of being crushed.

. Being in an abnormal place for an abnormal length of time will often steer one's imagination to the worst things possible. And let me tell ya', I've been stuck in that place for a _really_ long period of time. Though, I couldn't exactly say that I was overjoyed the moment I left either.

On the the third day of spring of the new year when the rain was falling the hardest, I- the newly named Chiharu- was born into the world as one of the branch members of the Akasawa clan. Or should I say, born again. I won't go into too much detail, but the magic of childbirth is only magical to one who is witnessing it.

I can say that it was one of the most terrifying things I have experienced in a long while, I mean, before realizing that I had died. I felt like I was being pushed and pulled the whole time. Meeting the outside world was equally unpleasant. The sudden flash of light, followed by the raw input of data in the form of new sense stimuli. The touch of being transferred form one large pair of hands to another, the loud babbling of sounds and noises of people talking and the shuffling of cloth, heard though the soft muffled sounds of foreign speech flowing into my still developing ears.

I remembered my mother one time mentioning something about rebirth. Being one of the superstitious kind, she had told me that as long as I was good in my old life, the next life I would have would be prosperous. I didn't believe her at the time, the whole thing sounding like it came straight from a fairytale or something, but now that I had realized I was in this situation I wasn't exactly as chill about it as I seemed on on the outside.

I was frightened. Why? There were many reasons. I had died. I had lost my family. I am now forced into another life with a totally new family and environment and possibly have to pick up a new language. I was a very naughty kid.

Not so much the last part, but all the rest were enough to frighten me into crying, like all young kids are prone to do when frightened. Or born. Whichever came first.

* * *

It wasn't until later on in life I had learned the my new mother had died during my birth. Yoshihiko was weak from her battle with that winter's flu and was losing too much blood. For a woman I hadn't even had the chance to meet, I did grieve for her; or more accurately wallow in self loathing. I did take her life in exchange for mine.

Oddly enough, I wasn't born in a hospital though. I was actually born in the bathroom of my small family's cabin at the foothills of a small mountain range, absolutely isolated from other outside contacts. The reason for this will be revealed later on, for now, I'll indulge on my new family.

The whole ordeal itself had earned me everlasting love from my father, Ryoichi, but blistering hatred from my older brother of five years, Fuyuhiko.

My mother, according to my father, was a beautiful woman. I didn't quite take his word for it. Why? Well, what kind of a husband would describe his wife as anything less than breathtaking? She had rich black hair that curled around her face, framing her pale complexion like the pitch black of the night cradling the glowing moon and eyes that shone with equal radiance. She had an ovular face with small eyebrows like black sesame seeds and had the bearing of a noble woman, whatever that meant. As you can see, my father was absolutely smitten with her, his voice taking a dream like tone of a lovesick teenager when he spoke of her. Too bad we didn't have any pictures, not that I was even sure cameras had been invented yet.

My father, Ryoichi, looked quite similar to the trait he described mom with. He also had dark hair and the little rounded eyebrows mom was described having. I remember being so perplexed when I first saw them, dimly comparing them to that one fox summoner from that one manga I read. Exorcist dressed in blue or something. Anyway, my father had a rounded face with a rather pink look to him. It wasn't as if he was like cheshire cat pink, but he always had a faint little rosy tint to his cheeks and the high points of his body. He also had very defined eyelashes that women in my old life would have killed for as well as a little beauty mark right under his left eye. On the topic of eyes, his eyes really were something. Infact, everyone in my family had the same eyes (I assumed the same for my mom). His was a silvery colour, almost luminescent in the right lighting. Freaky.

My brother leaned a lot to how my father had described mom. Fuyuhiko had a very regal bearing to him along with a fierce look on his paler, ovular face. He shared the shockingly sterling eyes our parents has and dark midnight hair. Like Ryoichi, he had a tint to his face and body, but it was more noticeable than dad's. He was more rosey pink than dad's pale pink. Maybe it was from mom? Dunno, but he did have mom's slightly wavy hair which he had let grow out to a ridiculous length, held back with only a brown cloth headband that obscured the entirety of his forehead. This allowed only a few strands of loose hair to obscure his face, but it also allowed for the mini mane that fluffs out from his head. He also inherited dad's gorgeous eyelashes.

I myself haven't gotten a good look at this point in time since we do have a lack of mirrors. Also because I had underdeveloped eyes.

And what was it with our eye anyway? By now I know it was a genetic trait, but for both my parents to have it told me that I wasn't reborn in a would like the one I died in. That thought frightened me, so I didn't think about it. Yup, call me a coward if you must, but running away from things is the only way I've learned to cope.

* * *

I lived a generally childhood like this. Doing what babies did; eating, sleeping, pooping, and sleeping some more. I really did like this way of life, considering that in my past life I had rather liked lazing around, minus having my butt wiped. Oh, and procrastination. Don't forget that. Good ol' procrastination.

My habit often caused trouble such as falling asleep in instances where I should not have back in my past life. My notes often end up in gibberish during those instances. Well, at least my friends had enough patience to deal with me on those days.

Yeah, life was good. I wasn't in any hurry to grow either, but I can't exactly say I was very patient person. I've never been very patient.

I didn't like having such underdeveloped motor skills. I was weak. I was too dependant. So, I got to work crawling a soon as I could. But when one had the stamina of an infant, I didn't get too far before dropping and hibernating for five years. Not that I had a problem with hibernating for five years.

I grew up, to my father's joy, a very smart child. Cooing came at two months of age, babbling nonsense came a month later followed by simple words at five months. You know, simple things such as 'daddy' or 'big brother'. By then, I had figured out that the native language both my remaining family members spoke was Japanese. And boy, I had never been so grateful for my measly two years of Japanese back in High School. So in actuality, I started babbling things such as 'Touuu' and 'Fuu-niii'. Fuyuhiko didn't find his new nickname very 'Fuu-ni' at all. Ha ha. Yeah, please run me over with another car.

This did bring the occasional smile to my father and though Fuyuhiko would scowl when he was with me at such times, I did catch the slightest little twitch of his lips on a good day.

Within six months, I had mastered crawling and was beginning to move on to stand. Nearly gave my new dad a heart attack when I lost balanced and pitched forwards, only to be caught by him seconds later. How he had gotten from the kitchen to the living room in a blink of an eye was beyond me, but he did it and I didn't question it much.

Another thing that had presented itself to me at this age was teething. Let me tell you, not too fun. It started with painful little bumps in your gums before the teeth break out. Then it would be itching for days as they grow out fully. After that, you need to bear with the pain of closing your mouth too hard and stabbing the empty parts of your gums with the teeth you had just grown out.

As I had found though, chewing on various things did work. Cloth, chopsticks, my fingers and occasionally the fingers of my father and Fuyuhiko, much to his displeasure. Oddly enough, I was handed a rubber kunai at one point. Strange to be presented with such a thing in the first place but hey, if I could distract myself from the irritating pit know as my mouth, I would gladly take it.

This was also the time when my eyes actually worked enough for me to see more than a few fuzzy feet in front of me. Thanks to the magical reflective properties of water, I can proudly say I have the same odd eyes like my family as well as dark hair. An ovular face I obviously got from my mom, shaggy from dad and beauty mark also thanks to Dad. I didn't see it much, but Fuyu poked at it enough for me to guess something was there. I was also in a constant state of blushing. Yup, I inherited my family's pink tint to their body. I wonder if I looked like a tomato coming out?

It was a bit of a shock looking to look at since I knew the squishy faced child in the reflection wasn't me. Although there was some comfort in a familiar hair color, everything else was off. My hair was never this unmanageable. I had the wrong face shape, and those eyes were those of an alien.

* * *

As nice as these pleasant little times with my family were, they didn't last long though. When I was three year of age, my father deemed me physically capable enough to join him and my elder brother out in their daily routines. They always had a habit of leaving the house in the earliest bits of day. Well, correction, they would both leave before my father came back a few moments later to keep an eye on me within the house.

Before my brother would comeback, dad would disappear and then reappear in less than five minute's time with Fuyuhiko, dirty and scruffy even though he was perfectly clean a moment ago. With them, baskets full of edible roots and plants and occasionally meat of some sort.

Within the first session of going out with them, I had finally learned why odd things such as disappearing and teleporting within a blink of an eye happened. I had finally learned what universe and when in this universe I had been reborn into.

Ryoichi had started us on stretching first. Such things reminded me a lot of yoga actually. Most of the positions were used to stretch a certain muscle within your body as well as slowly working up your flexibility. They still hurt like hell though. Just like I had remembered in my past life.

As we warmed up, he had pulled Fuyuhiko aside about a half hour in and started him on what I recognised as katas. At first I thought it was cool and everything that my family was enthusiastic about martial arts, but then the dark haired man that had been raising me for the past three years literally cloned himself before my very eyes.

I'm not kidding. One moment he was speaking sternly to my brother and the next, his hands moved into what looked like practised movements in which I realized later was hand signs before his clone appeared in a puff of smoke.

To say I was surprised was the understatement of the century. From my father's bemused smile at my wide eyed and gaping mouth expression to my brother's mocking snickers, I had begun to wrap my head around this idea.

Naruto. I had been reborn into the anime where the characters are all crazy superpowered humans who throw overpowered attacks at each other without breaking a sweat...and also leveling a small town.

Well shit.

* * *

I have decided that I want to survive here. I was given a second chance of life, and like hell I'm going to give that up. At first, I had hoped that I was reborn into one of the background of the plot where there was a little less, you know, leveling towns and more living normally? I should have known that this was not the case.

It wasn't until I refused to learn more than the basic katas later on in my fourth year of life when the full extent of my situation was revealed to me.

Ryoichi had sat me down and began a rather morbid storey time. He informed me that I, Chiharu Akasawa, was one of the few if not of the last, of the Akasawa clan. Although he had married the main family's youngest daughter, both my brother and I would have still been labeled as part of the branch family.

The Akasawa clan was a literal bloodline that had resided within the land of rain. By literal I mean our clan Jutsu was focused around blood. Our defining traits were silver eyes and rich black hair as well as a an everlasting pink tint on our cheeks and other high points of your body since we contained more blood than the average human. We also had incredible blood regeneration rate, but cells could only split so many times so it was recommended to recycle our blood. Gross right? That or blood transfusions, of the same blood type of course.

Eating right would help the regeneration blood flow and consistency as well as the amount of chakra we use to control our blood. Lack of nutrients take a large toll on us than most since we depend on our blood more. I don't understand it much but I am past asking questions now. What I do understand is that most of the jutsu and controlling of the blood is chakra intensive and is similar to the methods used by Gaara to control the movement of his dand.

This also meant increased healing, but we scar over quite easily. We also bruise pretty easily in out younger age when our skin is still thin and have not , well, thickened.

Anyway, enough with the blood stuff. Back on topic, both father Ryoichi and mother Yoshihiko had been living happily within the branch family households when the bloodline purge of rain begun.

Together, they had managed to escape and fled far from the village hidden in rain. Through valleys and rivers and into the mountains, avoiding and fighting off hunter-nin along the way. So far, they haven't been found in over 7 years, allowing for the birth of birth Fuyuhiko and I in relative safety.

So, another reason to why I have decided that I want to survive. It would also be a pain to die again. Literally. For the remainder of the year, I worked tirelessly to master even the hardest of my katas. Normally I don't work this hard, but Ryoichi is pretty damn scary when he wants something. More often than not, he threatens to take away sleep and rest if I seem to be, ah, 'lacking incentive'.

I didn't just to katas. Kunai were the first weapon handed to me when my father though I was ready to handle it. This was followed by correct posture as well as grip when fighting close combat with the weapon. Fuyuhiko had a lot of fun helping me train with that since it often intermingled with my taijutsu training, which through that flexibility and agility.

Flexibility was managed early on with the stretches we were told to do daily. Ryoichi had made us to them often, spacing them throughout the day. The times we were not allowed to miss doing stretches was at the start of the day, midday and the end of the day before we go cleaned up. Each session was up to an hour long where we would need to twist our bodies into progressively more difficult positions and hold them for a longer amount of time. Sort of like progressing from the warrior pose for a minute or two to holding the eight-angle pose for five minute. I couldn't even plant for five minutes, much less paper fold my body into _that._ I was told that I would get there eventually.

Agility training was another one of Fuyuhiko's favorite things to help me train in. This was mostly sudden attacks performed by my brother with blunt weapons and chasing me with his wooden bokken. He would force me to dodge and weave as well as jump around and running. He also got me to twist in the weirdest positions when dodging, like leaning back until my hands touched the ground and making a bridge with my body. I was surprised I didn't snap my spine in half with the speed I was going to avoid a bokken to the face. guess it practiced situational awareness as well, but Fuyuhiko looked way too happy when he was getting the jump on me. Uhg, I still get the creeps thinking about that face he makes when he knows he's got me cornered.

Throw taijutsu into that mix only allowed me to hit back the Fuyuhiko, and that didn't help me with anything at all. My older brother was a lot quicker and more skilled than I was. If I ever did manage a lucky hit, he would have returned it ten times over before I would be able to land my next one. But, he was kind enough to help me back to my feet after beating me black and blue.

Mastering things didn't happen until I was about six years of age. I did, however, get a firm grasp on chakra control within the end of my fourth year and the beginning of my fifth year of life. It was a result of many, many hours of chakra control exercises and meditation and quite a few nights of chakra exhaustion. At least I didn't have to worry much about trying to sleep those nights.

Fuyuhiko still had some sort of resentment towards me for the death of the woman known as our mother. I had tried many times though my short few years of life to make peace with him. Talking,smiling and actively trying to interact with him and most of it had improved our relationship. We have been on friendlier terms lately, but he still dislikes being around me for long periods of time.

I'm still the one who starts the conversations between us. It's either me or our father who encourages a healthy brother sister relationship, often saying that 'We only ever have each other now', when ever we seem to be at each other's throats. Sometimes literally.

* * *

Shortly after the exciting event of Fuyuhiko learning to solidify his blood into an actual blade, they had found us.

Late in the afternoon of one particular summer morning, Ryoichi had left Fuyuhiko to practice one of the family's techniques, the bloody javelin, and I the intangible shadow clone jutsu when we were suddenly whisked away.

Bags laden with supplies and clothes among other things as Ryoichi lead us away from our home in an frenzied hurry. He made us run in front of him, glancing back every so often. He wouldn't answer any of our questions directed towards him. Grim faced, kunai were pushed into my hands, Fuyuhiko got a worn tanto along with many kunai.

Fuyuhiko had tucked the weapons away into his clothes, the tanto gripped so hard in his hands his knuckles white. As for me, I hand just just barely learned how to throw them and _hit_ the target, using them in combat is something that I'm less than ready for. Sadly, my hand-eye-coordination was still shitty like it was in my past life.

The sound of clashing metal reached my ears barely even a mile out from our home. Turning, I see the mass of dark hair known as my father blur before he is obscured with smoke. Moments later, he emerges a little scuffed up, but otherwise unharmed. Wait, let me correct that. Unharmed by the enemy. He was actually bleeding profusely from each wrist which were slit for our family's bloodline techniques. The blood didn't fall to the ground though. It was actually floating in little pockets around the said appendages as the blood steadily flowed back into his body.

"Keep, running, don't stop!" he said, hands flipping rapidly through hand signs before wiping his wrists, stopping the bleeding almost immediately as he did so. I glanced into the smoke, the faint outline of a body or two lumped on the floor.

Stomach churning, I forced myself to run after Fuyuhiko. Footsteps behind us told me that our father was not far behind. The sound of something poofing to existence was heard before I was lifted up and placed on the back of something furry.

I yelped, tiny hands clutching into the coarse sea of brown fur. Fuyuhiko came to sit

behind me.

"What is the meaning of this, Ryo-kun?" came the gruff growl of the large bear that now more both of us on it's back. It didn't sound too happy to have us there.

"Sorry about this Fuma-san, but I wouldn't do this unless it was absolutely necessary.. They found us." came my father's urgent voice, punctuated with his shallow pants. "I need you two to take them as far away from here as you can."

"But what about you?" came the surprised cry of Fuyuhiko.

"The cub's right. What are you going to do?" agreed the bear. Trees blurred past as they continued their frantic pace.

"I'm going to lead them away and hopefully wipe out the remainder of the unit."

"On your own? " I piped up. Even Zabuza needed the help of Haku to throw off and kill the hunter-nin sent after them at one point in time.

:There was a soft chuckle. "Don't worry Haru-chan, Otou-chan is stronger than he looks." he said as we reached the cliff of a gorge. We stopped there for a brief moment and slid of the bear. With a look from father, Fuma shuffled off nearby to keep watch. Turning to us, he began to speak urgently.

"Now, listen closely you two." he says, gathering us close together. "This little gorge will lead you out of the forest of this mountain Once you leave the mountains, Fuma-san will take you both safely to one of the outer towns of the wind country inland."

"But Otou-san-" began Fuyuhiko, a hand coming to grasp the sleep of our father's hand as silver eyes begin to water with unshed tears.

"I won't tell you two to wait for me," he said, cutting him off softly, "But if you haven't heard from me in three days after reaching the town, leave at once. Keep moving and don't stop."

"You're going to have to be the man now, Fuyuhiko." came the soft voice of Ryoichi, a hand coming to brush the cheek of the young boy. "Protect little Haru-chan, alright? Promise to keep both you and her safe, and promise that you two will stay alive." he said urgently. I whimpered, and moved to hold on to my father. He accepted me in a one armed hug as I buried my face into his dirty clothes. This didn't sound like a 'see you later' goodbye like it was meant to. It sounded more like a final farewell.

Yes yes, call me a baby but I am the type to grow overly attached to people. Since have willingly given up the idea of ever getting back to my previous life since I kinda, you know, died. I have also readily accepted the starting over of my life with my new family which I had spent the last six years growing up with. What can I do really? I was bound to form these attachments eventually and I knew the weight that came with these attachments. I guess that naive part of me just hoped that it would never happen. Should have known really this would have happened eventually.

Fuyuhiko must have picked up on it as well as and the tears fell from his eyes. He too, was then pulled into the arms of our father.

"Ryoichi," came Fuma's gruff growl. "They are nearing."

"Fuyuhiko," came my father's pleading voice.

"I-I promise." came my brother's voice, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. Ryoichi arms tightened around us, a sigh of relief escaping his voice. It was an unreasonable promise. We all knew it was, but just hearing those words seemed to steel our father's resolve.

Before I knew it, we were back on Fuma-san's back again. There was a smile. Bright, radiant, and full of love. A soft caress and a fleeting kiss before the landscape disappeared in an dizzying blur of movement.

"Hold on, little cubs." came the voice of our carrier as he ran through the forest.

A pair of arms came to box me in, hands grasping the fur to make sure that I would not fall. Looking back, I saw the devastated look on Fuyuhiko's face. I would be lying if I said I didn't cry.

* * *

Within the first day of parting, we had heard many explosions in the distance as well as smoke rising from the direction of our old home. It had stopped two days later.

We had journeyed far, resting when were were absolutely sure there was no one on our trail before moving on an hour later. With such a pace, we had made it out of the gorge within two day's time.

On the third day, we were attacked. Not by the enemies out dad faced, but by bandits after the bounty put on the heads of all holders of bloodline limits from the mist.

It was within the late hours of the night. Fuma-san was resting after a long day of travel. His light snores punctuated the silence Fuyuhiko and I sat in.

Fuyuhiko had caked our hair with mud, smearing the substance all over our face and bodies as well. He said it was to keep from drawing too much attention to ourselves. After all, who would bother two raggedy children?

Fuma had brought us back food. Simple things like raw roots and a few berries. The roods were cooking in the fire and berried were resting in our stomachs when they attacked. The band of five men in straw hats and ripped traveling cloaks. Each sported their own dangerous weapons that glinted in the light of the fire.

Without a word, Fuyuhiko had already initiated the battled. Fuma had awoken within the first clang of metal on metal as Fuyuhiko bat the weight of a sickle chain away with his tanto. His blade wasn't long, it was a foot at most but it was the longest weapon we hand.

Fuma had sprang from his sleeping position with a roar of fury, swatting a man to the ground and crushing him before two of his comrade circled the enraged bear. The last one came for me. I had fumbled to grab my kunai, had trembling as I grasped for it. As I did, the man had already begun moving, his clawed gauntlet raised to bring down on me.

I yelped and hastily dodge to the side. This was very different from the safe matches Fuyuhiko and I had. My opponent was really out to hurt me. I dodge to the side again as the weapon was swing at me again and too to the trees, nearly falling off from fear and adrenaline. Yeah, I was panicking and all the past training had slipped from my mind. All I could think of to do was run. Which I did when the man had jumped and joined me on the branch.

Relying on mostly on muscle reflex, I had ducked down to dodge a fist to the face and jumped back once again to escape a swipe that would have taken off my head and retreated to another tree.

"What are you doing, Chiharu!" Growled Fuyuhiko, as he ducked under a swing of the sickle, grabbing onto it and pinning the weapon to the floor by stabbing the blade of his tanto through on of the chains and onto the floor. "Fight back or die!" He said as he drew kunai to throw at the sickle chain wielder who used the weight to knock the kunai away.

He was right. I was going to die if I don't fight back, but I couldn't do it. I was frightened. I knew that all the training I have had would at least let me hold the man back for a small amount of time, I knew this was what our dad trained us for, but I had never actually done any of this stuff with the intent of kill before. I hadn't even thought of killing anyone with the techniques I had learned! The thought of killing another living being was also terrifying.

"Damnit Haru!" my brother said before he was in front of me, tanto brought up to block the claw that was coming down on my head. "Focus!" he said and forced the man to retreat with a couple of kunai aimed at the gut.

"I-I'm sorry!" was all I could say, my hand finally moving to take a kunai. The man my brother had been fighting had appeared in a flash, springing forwards when his comrade retreated and presented Fuyuhiko with a sickle to the face. Batting it away with his tanto once again, this time he grabbed the weapon and pulled, catching the attacker by surprise as he pitched forwards. My brother ran forwards and delivered a fist to the man's face.

The I was falling. Someone had grabbed my ankle and pulled me from the tree. "Agh!" I cried out as I hit the ground. I was too busy watching Fuyuhiko and failed to pay attention to the battle going on. At this point, I was starting to think that this whole ninja thing wasn't my thing as I rolled to the side to avoid a sword being buried in my chest. My attacker still had my ankle in his hand as pulled me towards him, sword raised again to stab at me.

I twisted and stabbed my kunai into arm that was holding me, causing the attacker to curse and release me. I pushed up and retreated a few steps. Fuma was bleeding from a deep cut in his side and was keeping one paw off the ground as he faced off with one bandit wielding another sword. Fuyuhiko was struggling with the two he was fighting as was visibly wearing down, a bloody javelin already formed and grasped in his hands. The man I was fighting had pulled the kunai from his arm and was glaring at me with conviction.

We were going to die here. I was going to die again.

No. I refuse to die again.I might now get a second chance like I did here. I won't give up another family to death. And I certainly fear death more than the man who is trying to kill me right now.

I shoved my hand into my pocket and pulled out another kunai, steeling myself to survive. This would be simple, it would be just like a match with Fuyuhiko. Doge the swipe and throw the kunai. Blocking the kunai take time, so run and engage when blocking. Coming up to the man, I sweep my foot out to try and trip. He jumped but I threw my kunai at him, which were swatted off to the side with the sword.

Flicking my hands into the tiger seal, I created two shadow clones, feeling the chakra they use up drain from my body. I jumped back into the bushes as the other two took to the trees. As they jumped down from the trees with kunai in hand, I had circled around the bushes to burst from the side. It was what seemed like the perfect plan. Distract him with shadow clones and attack him from the side. But I forgot that he was using a sword.

Crossing my arms, I cried out as I felt the sharp bite of the blade though my skin as as the man swung in an arc to take out the shadow clones as well.

Falling to the ground I bent over my injuries, my arms burned as blood dripped from them. Before I could do anything else, the man was upon me again. Out of muscle reflex, my arms were brought up again to ward off the attack, head bending down and clamping my eyes shut as I flinched away from what I thought was the finishing blow.

Chakra surged in me as I flinched again, hearing flesh tearing and bones breaking. After a short pause, I realized I was still alive. Cracking my eyes open, I slowly looked up just to gasp in fear. There, suspended by hardened spikes, was my dead attacker. The hardened blood melted away, dropping the carcass to the ground and causing the blood to flow back over to me. All I could do was stare.

I just killed a man. With my _blood._ Part of me though this was pretty cool, the other part was freaking out. _Holy shit I just killed a man._ I looked at the blood congregating around my hands. _With my own fucking blood. Holy shit._

"Haru-chan?" came the gentle voice of my brother. My head snapped up to look at him, eyes wide. He was injured, blood dripping from a cut at his shoulder and blood flecked his entire body. My eyes slide to look behind him where Fuma was mauling the last of the bandits, a clawed firmly digging into one of the ones Fuyuhiko fought. The other one was slumped against a tree, a hole in his chest.

"Haru-chan, are you okay? Look at me." He said, a hand guiding me to look back at his concerned face. "Can you hear me?" Of course I can hear him. He was right in front of me. I gulped, my mouth being unbearably dry. He took my arms and turned them over, looking at them before at me. "Haru-chan, " he said, causing me to focus on him again. "Haru-chan, I need you to listen to me, okay?" I nodded. "I need you to pull your chakra into your body. Can you do that for me? Center it at your stomach." I nodded again and did as he said, struggling slightly. I watched in detached fascination as well as horror as the blood seeped back into my body from my trembling arms. Fuyuhiko flicked though a few hand signs and placed them on my arms. Soon, they were no longer bleeding, fresh pink scars taking their place.

He placed on hand on his shoulder and healed the cut shoulder. He sagged slightly, breathing ragged.

Our attention was drawn with a loud poof, catching a glimpse of Fuma's startled face before he was gone. The was a sob from Fuyuhiko and sudden I was enveloped in a tight hug. I wasn't able to comprehend it at that time, but the disappearance of Fuma told us that our father had died. Fuyuhiko knew that.

We didn't sleep easy that night. We didn't eat either. Fuyuhiko had just pick up our things, grabbed a few things off the men and left. We walked till we collapsed under a tree and passed out.

* * *

We soon sported large straw sunhats to obscure of face in shadows, making it nearly impossible to discern our eyes color unless they were standing right before us. The traveling cloaks were also something Fuyuhiko had taken from the men.

It had been five days since that battle. We had eaten little and slept less but we walked on. We avoided the main road and traveled only by tree, sleeping and resting when we were on the brink of exhaustion in the said trees when the time came. We had left the forest two days ago and were headed to the nearest village, hoping that our father was still alive and that the disappearance of Fuma was only from chakra exhaustion.

We arrive at the small village three days later. A kind old couple had picked us up from the edge of the river. They cleaned us, clothed us and coaxed us into eating.

So there was staid. There we waited. Three days and two nights, but out dad never came.

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **Hello! Black Rabbit here. Thank you for reading this ^^ Please leave me a review! I would like to know if I need any improvements in my writing or anything like that. I also don't have a beta reader for this story so for who ever is interested, please message me and we can talk.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me!**


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